Summary
On 1 November 2010, an Airbus A330-302, registered VH-EBF (EBF), departed Phuket, Thailand on a scheduled passenger flight to Sydney, New South Wales.
When the aircraft was approaching overhead Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, in icing conditions, the aircraft systems indicated a loss of total air temperature (TAT) data. This resulted in the loss of autopilot and autothrottle capabilities. The crew attempted to resolve the fault but were unable to restore the auto-flight capabilities.
The crew conferred with company operational and maintenance personnel and elected to divert to Singapore. The aircraft landed in Singapore without further incident.
Analysis of the data from the flight data recorder indicated that both TAT probes failed during the incident flight, triggering the loss of autoflight capabilities. The manufacturer suspected that the TAT probes failed due to icing.
A new TAT probe was certified for the A330 aircraft and issued through an optional Service Bulletin in 2008. As of November 2010, there had been no reported events of multiple failures involving the new TAT probes. At the time of the incident, EBF was not fitted with one of the new TAT probes.
Occurrence summary
| Investigation number | AO-2010-086 |
|---|---|
| Occurrence date | 01/11/2010 |
| Location | overhead Kuala Lumpur International Airport Malaysia |
| State | International |
| Report release date | 16/05/2011 |
| Report status | Final |
| Investigation level | Short |
| Investigation type | Occurrence Investigation |
| Investigation status | Completed |
| Mode of transport | Aviation |
| Aviation occurrence category | Avionics/flight instruments |
| Occurrence class | Incident |
| Highest injury level | None |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | Airbus |
|---|---|
| Model | A330 |
| Registration | VH-EBF |
| Serial number | 853 |
| Sector | Jet |
| Operation type | Air Transport High Capacity |
| Departure point | Phuket, Thailand |
| Destination | Sydney, NSW |
| Damage | Nil |